TR lends support to Uckfield sportsman gunning for Paralympic glory

50-year-old disabled air rifle competitor Pete Moffat, who is from Uckfield, is hoping to qualify for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris and TR Fastenings is among the sponsors helping him to realise this dream. TR Fastenings has helped Pete with a contribution towards the equipment he needs to take part in Disability Shooting Great Britain’s Training & Development Programme for Paralympic hopefuls.

Pete, who has spina bifida and paraplegia, learned to shoot when he was 11 at a local rifle club in Buxted, and won his first inter-club competition at 12. “I love all kinds of sport” he says, “but that shooting competition was the first time I competed on an even keel with able-bodied people and I just loved it.”

Pete has taken part in a long list of sporting activities on a personal quest to push himself. He took up disability skiing but had to give it up after a nasty accident, then tried wheelchair basketball, but after suffering a concussion doctors told Pete to avoid contact sports, so he put all his efforts into air rifle shooting.

Pete was inspired to progress to international level after watching the 2016 Rio Paralympics. “Every time I see the Paralympics on TV I get this urge to be part of it” he says. He contacted UK Sport last autumn and enrolled on the ‘Discover Your Gold’ initiative. A few days later he was invited to an air rifle talent day and out of 3500 applicants, Pete was one of just 12 to make it onto the training and development programme. He’s now part of an elite group of athletes training at Disability Shooting’s headquarters in Stoke Mandeville with 10m range 177 rifles.

Last April UK Sport cut the funding for disabled shooting by 40% after the Rio 2016 Paralympic shooting team failed to win any medals. Pete has to fund himself and buy his own equipment, but as an Uckfield resident, he was aware of TR Fastenings’ support for community causes and approached the company for help. TR provided Pete with the funds to buy his rifle and he has raised money for the rest of his equipment through a GoFundMe campaign.

“I wish I’d done this 30 years ago, but I didn’t know this kind of shooting existed then. It’s a bit of a cliché but I feel like life is for living and everyone should grab what opportunities come their way. If I can get to the Paralympics, even if I don’t win anything , that would really be something. I’m really grateful to TR for its sponsorship; it’s an expensive sport and without this assistance I simply wouldn’t be able to pursue it.”

Geoff Budd, European MD at TR Fastenings, adds: “At TR we take great pride in assisting the local community and helping individuals to strive for and achieve their goals, and it’s a pleasure to support Pete in his quest for Paralympic glory. His tenacity, commitment and determination to find a sport which will take him to Paris is inspirational, and we wish him every success on his journey.”

Click here to read more about Pete Moffat and support his Paralympic journey.